Identity, Conflict and Politics in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.

• Author: Rihmo, Hijam Liza Dallo

Identity, Conflict and Politics in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan

Edited by Gilles Dorronsoro and Olivier Grojean

London: C. Hurst & Co., 2018, 282 pages, [pounds sterling]65.00 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9781849043724

This edited volume is a comprehensive text examining the relationship between identity politics and conflict management. The book works across three themes, namely, the formation of identities, the emergence of mobilization, and the transition to violence. For the purpose of this study, the authors examine cases from Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. The book also includes transnational recompositions of the Indo-Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom to enrich our understanding of identity-based violence. The book is well-organized with informative thematic structures which makes navigation easy. Most importantly, the introduction by Gilles Dorronsoro and Olivier Grojean familiarizes readers with the concept of 'identity capital,' which is defined as a strategic resource that can be invested to mobilize collective actions. Another recurring concept is 'ethnic hierarchy.' The editors argue that identity inherently breeds hierarchy, as it is constructed on the devaluation of the "other" (p. 7). Most of the contributions in this book utilize the concept of ethnic hierarchy, exploring the different ways in which it gets transformed, and how it (re)defines collective actions creating potential grounds for violence.

Building upon the conceptual framework provided in the introductory part of the book, the succeeding chapters address the formation of identities. A crucial part of identity formation is the identification process itself. There are multiple ways in which identities are constructed; one of the major arguments for understanding identity-based violence is that the identification of groups can be based on minor differences. This argument highlights the importance of assigning social meanings and identification at the unconscious level, where expressions of egotism rather than conflicts of interest consolidate the group's identity. Another important development of the argument pertains to the production of ethnic hierarchy in the identification process, which affects accessibility to public resources like funds, and cultural and political rights. Thus, state policies become a crucial factor in the management of identity conflicts. State policies that capitalize on existing ethnic hierarchies foment identity mobilizations. This takes place...